


The Mess I’ve Made

by bottomoftheheap



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hogwarts, OotP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28005183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bottomoftheheap/pseuds/bottomoftheheap
Summary: All Serafina Viotto wanted was a normal year, or at least, as normal as it could get at Hogwarts. With her schedule jam packed with NEWT classes and Quidditch, she thought maybe, just maybe, she'd be too busy for any distractions.How foolish of her to think so. And it wasn't anyone else's fault but her own.
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

Serafina Viotto had been told just how lucky she was her whole life; lucky to be so pretty, so smart, so _special._ Lucky to be born a witch, lucky to get to study magic, lucky to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

But, as she sat in a train compartment of the Hogwarts Express, on the first day of her sixth term at Hogwarts, consoling several crying first years while her rounds partner, Adrian Pucey, picked on a handful of thirteen year olds, she didn’t feel so lucky. 

In fact, she felt exhausted, and the ride to Hogwarts had barely even begun. It had only taken twenty minutes for absolute chaos to erupt. There had been several mishaps, but they were minor. However, there were three incidents that had stuck out for her. 

The First Incident had occurred just moments after she had started her rounds. A young girl, very clearly a first year, had stumbled into a compartment full of some not-very-nice fourth years, who made fun of her incessantly. The girl, whose name Serafina couldn’t understand through her sobs, crashed into Serafina’s legs and held on for dear life. It had taken several minutes to pry her off, with no help from Adrian, obviously. She finally got the poor girl to settle when she snagged some sweets off the trolley and offered them to her. Serafina found another compartment with two first years and introduced all of them, leaving them once the young girl assured her she would be fine. 

The Second Incident involved Draco Malfoy. Now, Serafina had always been taught by her parents not to hold hatred in her heart, but their words flew right out the window whenever she saw that slimy, smarmy, _sorry excuse_ for a human being. Serafina had watched from the doorway of a compartment as he tripped one of her good friends, Neville Longbottom, as he cockily sauntered past him, his head held high and a look on his face as if the entire train smelled foul. Neville had fallen right at Serafina’s feet, knocking his head against her shin. Draco stared at Serafina, as if daring her to say something. 

_She didn’t._ However, against her better judgement, she had shot him an obscene gesture, which she knew he would write her up for later, having just been made a prefect as well. Serafina had helped Neville up, murmuring an apology to him, before checking to make sure he was alright. He didn’t really say anything, he was too flustered, but Serafina knew they would talk it out later. She sent him on his way, after brushing him off and placing a soft kiss on his cheek. 

The Third Incident had been the worst.. Serafina had never been very quick to anger, quick to irritate, sure. But it took a lot to _anger_ her, and Adrian Pucey had done it. As if it wasn’t enough for him to do absolutely nothing while Serafina did all the work, he had the _audacity_ to tell her Neville deserved what Draco had done to him, scolding her for babying him. She had learned how to tune him out by now, having been his prefect partner for a year before this, but there was one word that pulled her back into the conversation, said so effortlessly, so _boldly_ , that boiled her blood. _Mudblood._

Being a Muggleborn Slytherin, the only one so far in her now six years at Hogwarts, Serafina was more than familiar with the word, having heard it from her peers at least once a week. Of course, it had usually been one of two instances: directed at her, by Draco Malfoy and his posse of lowlifes, or in regards to Hermione Granger, also by Draco Malfoy and his posse of lowlifes. While the way _that_ word was thrown at Hermione as an insult, Serafina had only heard it in backhanded compliments. 

_Shame you’re a mudblood, you’re very pretty._

_Merlin, you’re awfully smart for a mudblood._

_Pity, we could have been friends if you weren’t a mudblood._

Serafina really thought the weight of that word would lessen as the years went by, but it never really did, as much as she tried to just ignore it. This time, however, she couldn’t. The last hour had been beyond stressful, with her level of annoyance rising higher and higher, and Adrian had just caused it to spill over the edge, fueling what was now anger. 

Serafina’s hand had just slipped into her pocket, gripping her wand tightly, when the light of a hex shot right over her shoulder, nailing Adrian right square in the nose. His head forcefully shot backwards as the hex hit him, and his hands went to his nose immediately. He cried out in pain as a bat sprouted from his left nostril, then one from his right, both fluttering past Serafina and out an open window a few meters behind her. Adrian turned around in a flash and took off down the corridor, no doubt running for help. Bats seemed to keep sprouting from him, because he left a trail of them as he left. 

Serafina knew the hex all too well, _the Bat-Bogey Hex_ , the signature move of Ginny Weasley. When she turned around, she did indeed come face-to-face with Ginny, who looked utterly pleased with herself. 

“I hate that word.” Ginny murmured. 

Serafina nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Me too.”

“I suppose this is the part where you write me up, yeah?”

Serafina shook her head, pursing her lips. “Not this time. This is actually the part where I thank you.”

Ginny gave her a smile, shrugging her shoulders as she crossed her own arms, “The git deserved it.” As Serafina nodded silently in agreement, Ginny spoke again, “Whoever finds him is going to know it was me.”

“The danger of having a signature spell, I suppose.”

Ginny beamed. She looked awfully proud to know the Bat-Bogey Hex had become her signature. 

“Don’t worry, Ginny,” Serafina gave her a small smile, “If anyone asks, I’ll say a first year got ahold of a book of hexes. They’re awfully easy to come by on the train.”

“Sneaky,” Ginny mused, as a teasing smile formed on her face, “No wonder my brother has taken a liking to you.”

Serafina tried to remain nonchalant at her words, but she could feel her heart pounding against her ribcage as she retorted with, “Which one?”

Ginny chuckled under her breath, shaking her head, “Don’t play dumb, Fred told us all what happened, practically _bragged_ to us about you. _‘I kissed Serafina Viotto, bask in my glory,’_ Absolutely ridiculous, if you ask me.”

While deep, _deep_ down Serafina wanted to laugh at Ginny’s spot-on imitation of Fred, the little voice in her head told her to knock it off. There was nothing funny about the predicament she had gotten herself into by kissing _Fred Weasley,_ of all people. 

Ginny opened her mouth to continue, but Serafina held up her hand, stopping her. “One more word about it and I swear to Merlin, I actually _will_ write you up.”

Ginny held her hands up in surrender, understanding that she had obviously crossed a line. Serafina couldn’t fault her, of course she’d only hear the good parts of what happened between her and Fred, but she didn’t want a recap from his baby sister.

“Understood,” Ginny dropped her hands to her sides, “Let me know if that prat bothers you again.”

Serafina only nodded as Ginny gave a curt nod, excusing herself back to her compartment. 

After patrolling the train once more, Serafina reached into her pocket to check her pocket watch, breathing out a sigh of relief as she noticed the time. It was the end of her shift. _Thank Merlin._ She wanted nothing more than to relax in her compartment with her best friend and lose herself in a book. 

It seemed, again, that she would not be so lucky. 

  
  


When she arrived at her usual compartment, that level of annoyance had raised again, threatening to spill over the way it had before. There, in what was usually her sanctuary, were four rowdy teenage boys, with her best friend nowhere in sight. Fred and George Weasley were sitting in _her_ compartment, with Lee Jordan and her brother, Remington, across from them. 

“There she is!” Fred beamed, gesturing her over wildly with his hand. 

Serafina immediately turned around and almost left without a word, clearly unable to handle whatever conversation might ensue between her and Fred, but stopped in her tracks when she heard the low, scratchy voice of her best friend, Aviana. 

“Fina! Where are you going?”

When Serafina turned around, very obviously confused, she noticed a small pair of legs had sprouted from under her brother, and Aviana’s head suddenly popped out from behind his back. 

“What… are you doing?” Serafina scowled at her brother. 

Remington only beamed at her, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, “I’m sitting. What are you doing?”

Serafina didn’t even dignify him with a response as she looked to Aviana, “He’s not hurting you, is he? You can tell him to sod off, you know.”

Aviana rolled her eyes, shaking her head with a small smile. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. It’s surprisingly comfortable, like being suffocated by fifty blankets.”

Serafina grimaced, but didn’t push. If Aviana wanted to be smothered by her older brother, then so be it. Serafina was not one to deny Aviana of what she wanted, no matter how out there what she wanted happened to be. (And, let it be known, Aviana’s wants were _pretty out there._ )

“You look very pretty today, Serafina,” Lee spoke up, trying to maneuver himself to look toward her, but he was pressed up against the window pretty tightly. “Has anyone told you that today?”

Serafina rolled her eyes, “Thank you, Lee,” She said, in monotone, as this was a daily occurrence, “That’s very kind of you.”

The grin on Lee’s face grew wider, despite Serafina’s obvious annoyance, “You’re quite welcome.”

“With that out of the way, could you lot please leave?” Serafina leaned up against the doorframe of the compartment, “I would very much like to sit down.”

“Rough shift?” George asked, genuinely, and as much as Serafina wanted to be annoyed with him, the look on his face was so kind that she couldn’t find it in her to snark at him. 

“You have no idea.”

“We have some idea,” Fred started, crossing his arms over his chest, “The next time I see Adrian Pukey, I’ll-“

“Word travels fast between you Weasleys, doesn’t it?” Serafina glared at him, but Fred remained unfazed, as if he had no idea what she meant. “Regardless, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fina, he’s a prat,” Remington reached toward her, placing a hand on her crossed arms, “Don’t let him get to you.”

“He didn’t _get_ to me,” Serafina turned her upper body, jerking away from him, “It’s not a big deal.”

“Yeah, Fina, don’t listen to him, he’s-“

“I believe I just said I didn’t want to talk about it, Fred. And don’t call me Fina.” Fred visibly tensed at Serafina’s tone, but recovered quickly, holding his hands up in surrender, similarly to the way Ginny had. 

“Fine, if you don’t want to talk, we don’t have to talk.” Fred leaned back in his seat, and Serafina glared at him again. She knew he didn’t mean what he said the way she had interpreted it, but those exact words brought Serafina right back to the night she had with Fred on the balcony at her home, the summer air still and warm, the moonlight illuminating Fred’s freckled face as he leaned in toward her, his eyes fluttering shut...

Serafina snapped herself out of it, shaking off any further thoughts about that night, and she pushed off the doorframe with her foot. “If you lot won’t leave, I will.”

“Merlin,” Remington let out a humorless chuckle, “Please remove the stick from your arse on the way out.”

Remington knew he had messed up when Aviana shoved him off of her and into the wall beside them. It wasn’t enough to hurt him, that’s the last thing Aviana would want, but it did force him to get the message. _Leave._

The four boys left silently, the air thick with tension, and Serafina gave Lee a sad smile as he patted her on the shoulder as he left. Serafina couldn’t help but feel bad for Lee, and even George, who had both gotten wrapped up in family and relationship drama by association. Not that they were really aware of it, or maybe they were, Serafina had no idea what Fred _or_ Remington talked about with them behind closed doors, but she figured it was only safe to assume that they’d heard more than enough. 

“Thanks, Avi,” Serafina plopped down onto the seat across from her with a heavy sigh.

“Don’t sweat it,” Aviana shrugged, propping her legs up onto her seat, her back against the wall as she pulled out the newest issue of _The Quibbler._ “My legs were starting to fall asleep anyway.”

“ _Prat_ ,” Serafina spat, at the vague mention of Remington, “I don’t know what his problem is, but he’s been shirty with me for the last month, and frankly, I’m tired of it.”

“Couldn’t tell you,” Aviana didn’t look away from the magazine in her hands, “Maybe it has something to do with Fred. Probably doesn’t like one of his friends fancying his sister.”

“If that’s the case, he’s being ridiculous,” Serafina crossed her arms as she mimicked Aviana’s stance in her own seat, “Like that even matters. I’d never treat him like that if he were to date you.”

There was a look on Aviana’s face that Serafina couldn’t place, but that wasn’t new. Aviana was still hard to read even after six years of friendship, but it was only because there was no _telling_ what was happening in that odd brain of hers. 

“Not that Fred and I are dating, anyway,” Serafina continued, more to comfort herself than explain herself, “It was just one kiss. That’s it.”

“Right. Just one kiss.” Aviana nodded, now digging her hand into a crinkly bag of sweets. 

“Right,” Serafina repeated, nodding curtly, “Just one kiss.”

Though it was obvious that neither of them believed it, they didn’t speak of the matter again. Aviana knew better than to pry, and Serafina wouldn’t even know what else to say if Aviana decided to.

Now that Serafina was laying back against the wall, the exhaustion from the Incidents finally caught up to her, crashing against her entire body like a tidal wave. She had just opened her book, a new fantasy novel her mother had picked up for her at a muggle bookshop, but her eyes were so heavy that she could barely see the page she was trying to read. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she decided not to fight it any longer. 

  
  


_The house was silent as Serafina stood at her kitchen sink, a glass of water clasped in her hand, her lips pursed, deep in thought._

_“Can’t sleep?”_

_Fred’s voice startled Serafina, causing her to jump, the water from her glass sloshing out and down the front of her pajama shirt._

_Fred cursed, murmuring an apology as he reached into a drawer by the oven, pulling a rag out of it and holding the rag toward Serafina._

_“Thanks,” Serafina mumbled, setting her glass down and taking the rag, dabbing at her shirt, “To answer your question, no, I can’t.”_

_“Me either,” Fred leaned up against the counter, crossing his arms._

_“Lee snoring too loud?” Serafina asked, setting the damp rag onto the counter, reaching for her glass._

_Fred quirked an eyebrow. “How’d you know?”_

_Serafina took another sip of water before answering him. “Intuition.”_

_Fred’s eyes narrowed in confusion, a questioning smile forming on his face._

_Serafina rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to chuckle at the look on his face. “My room is right next to Remy’s. I can hear him through the wall.”_

_“Ah,” Fred nodded, uncrossing his arms to hold onto the edge of the counter he was leaning on. He hopped up onto it, leaning back against the cabinets. “He keeping you up too?”_

_Serafina shook her head, silently taking another sip of her water._

_“Something else bothering you?”_

_Serafina didn’t want to answer him. She just took another drink, avoiding his eyes, leaning against the sink in silence._

_“You can tell me, you know,” Fred gave her a crooked grin, “I don’t bite. Much.”_

_Against her better judgement, she did laugh that time._

  
  


Serafina awoke with a start as the train blew its whistle, signaling their arrival to Hogwarts. She could feel the train slowing to a stop as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. 

_That bloody dream again._ She could never escape it, a constant replay of her night with Fred. Her subconscious seemed to play it on loop every time she closed her eyes, just to spite her. 

“Can’t believe I slept through the whole train ride.” Serafina murmured to Aviana. When she got no response, she turned her head to look at her friend, who was also sound asleep, her mouth wide open and a stream of drool trickling down her chin. 

“Merlin,” Serafina chuckled to herself as she stretched her arms over her head. She got up from her seat, and in one fluid motion, she produced a handkerchief from her robe pocket, wiping away the drool on Aviana’s chin. 

“You’re such a good friend,” Aviana mused, still half asleep. 

“I know,” Serafina chuckled again, pulling Aviana up and out of her seat. 

“Yet another year at Hogwarts,” Aviana was awfully perky for someone who had just woken up, “Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be, I suppose.”


	2. Chapter 2

As Serafina and Aviana approached the carriages that would take them to the castle, it became clear that Serafina’s babysitting duties were far from over. 

She felt a tug at her robe, and when she looked down, she noticed the small first year that she had consoled earlier was staring up at her, glassy eyed yet again, as if she might burst into tears at any second. 

Serafina sighed as she stared down at the poor girl, “What’s going on, little one?”

The little girl sniffled, then wiped her nose on the sleeve of her robe, “I don’t want to go on the boats.”

“They’re perfectly safe, I promise,” Serafina tried to console her again, but just as she finished her statement, there was a  _ kerplunk!  _ and the squeals of a few children, who had no doubt overturned the small boat. Happened every year; Serafina had, unfortunately, found that out for herself her first year. 

The girl didn’t say anything, she just stared wide-eyed up at Serafina. 

Serafina gave Aviana a squeeze on the arm as she dropped her bag, a signal to let Aviana know she’d be back shortly, then turned to lead the girl back to Hagrid. With a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder, Serafina led her through the crowd of upperclassmen, past Remington and his friends, who all shot her a confused look, and back to the boats. 

“What was your name again?” Serafina leaned down to ask the little girl. 

“Soleil.” The girl seemed to be more relaxed with Serafina with her. “Soleil Lark.”

“Soleil is a very pretty name,” Serafina murmured, “It suits you well.”

Soleil blushed. “What’s your name?”

“Serafina.” 

Soleil nodded slowly. “That’s also very pretty.”

Serafina gave the girl a kind smile as they arrived back to the small group of first years, who thankfully hadn’t finished boarding the boats yet. 

“Hiya, Hagrid,” Serafina greeted, holding up a hand to wave at him. His eyes lit up as he realized who was speaking to him. 

“Well, Serafina! You all righ’?” Hagrid smiled down at her, “Who’s this?”

Serafina placed her hand on Soleil’s shoulder again as she looked down at her and then back up at Hagrid, “This is Soleil, she’s a first year, and she’s a little nervous about riding in the boats. Seems like  _ some  _ people are tipping them.” Serafina shot a sharp glance at three sopping wet first years, who cowered a little under her gaze. 

Hagrid let out a deep chuckle, “No’ a problem, yeh can ride wit’ me!” He moved a hand to his belly, giving it three pats, “Be tough to tip me over, eh?”

That earned a giggle from Soleil, who had relaxed tenfold, a bright smile on her face. 

Serafina gave Hagrid an appreciative smile, patting Soleil on the shoulder, “Will that work for you?”

Soleil nodded up at her vigorously, before tackling her with a hug. Serafina, who nearly lost her footing at the sheer force the girl used, only smiled down at her, patting her on the head awkwardly.

“I’ll leave you to it, then,” Serafina told the girl, “If you need anything else, you know where to find me, okay?”

Soleil only nodded as she, now fearlessly, got into the last boat with the help of Hagrid, who had already made himself comfortable. Fang, who sat politely beside him, licked Soleil right across the face as she sat down. 

Serafina waited for the boats to take off before leaving, making sure Soleil wouldn’t have any second thoughts about the ride. As she watched the little girl ride off with Hagrid, she was reminded of herself and her first year at Hogwarts, and how she wished she had had someone older to guide her, besides Remington, who had been no help to her. He was only a year older than she was, and seemed to be careless as all hell, so any problems she had he was quick to brush off, telling her she was worrying too much. It was around that time that they had drifted apart, the friendship part of their siblinghood coming to an end. Serafina didn’t think he meant to do it on purpose, but as he continued to invalidate her feelings and fears, she pulled away from him more and more. 

Once the boats were out of her line of sight, she made her way back to the carriages, hoping they would still be there so she wouldn’t have to trek all the way up to the castle by herself. 

  
  
  


As it turned out, all the carriages were gone and Aviana was nowhere to be seen. However, standing right next to her bag was Neville Longbottom, and Serafina suddenly didn’t mind that she’d be walking up to the castle. She always enjoyed some quality time with Neville. 

“There you are,” Neville gave Serafina a shy smile, “I was starting to think you’d never come back.”

“You waited for me?”

Neville nodded furiously. “Aviana was here, but I think Remington convinced her to go with him. I told her I wanted a moment alone with you, anyway, so she went on. I hope that’s alright.”

Serafina couldn’t fault Aviana for going, Remington had always been rather convincing, and if Neville had asked her permission to spend time with Serafina, she  _ definitely  _ couldn’t fault her. 

“You wanted a moment alone with me?” Serafina’s eyebrows furrowed with concern, “Is everything alright?”

“Oh, yes, just fine,” Neville brushed off her question, but she could see that something was very clearly bothering him, “Just thought we could catch up.”

“Sure, Nev,” Serafina slung her bag over her shoulder, gesturing with her head that they should get moving, “How are your plants doing?”

“They’re alright,” Neville said, awkwardly, as they started their walk to the castle. It wasn’t like him to be so short about his plants. Usually, he was bursting at the seams to talk about them. “Read any good books lately?”

“A few,” Serafina narrowed her eyes at him, and he could tell that she noticed something was off with him. She didn’t push it, but he opened up almost immediately. 

“Me gran’s been on me about school,” Neville murmured, staring down at the ground as they walked, “Says I need to apply myself.”

Serafina’s brows furrowed again, “What’s she mean by that? You’re doing just fine. I wouldn’t have passed herbology last year if it weren’t for your help.”

“Reckon it’s my marks in everything else,” Neville scoffed, shrugging his shoulders defeatedly. “Don’t have any clue how she even got a hold of ‘em.”

Serafina pursed her lips, looking over at him, “Well, Neville, if you need help, I have all my notes from last year. I’m sure they’d come in handy for you.”

The corners of Neville’s lips turned up slightly, “You really mean it?”

Serafina let out a tiny chuckle, waving her hand, “Of course, because again, you’re the only reason I passed herbology last year. I’m fine with everything else, I just don’t understand plants like you do. I’m just returning the favor.”

“You’re a lifesaver, Fina,” Neville beamed, suddenly throwing his arms around her, squeezing her so tight that the wind was almost knocked out of her. 

“It’s no big deal,” Serafina responded, through gritted teeth. Neville gave a nervous laugh and released her, rubbing at his neck awkwardly. 

Neville seemed to perk up after that, and he turned to Serafina, a smile on his face. “Anything new with you?”

Serafina stared down at her feet, pursing her lips again. She scowled, thinking about the whole Fred situation, and she debated whether or not she should even bring it up.

“Uh, oh,” Neville was still looking at her, his eyebrows raised, “That’s an unpleasant look. Something happen with Remy?”

Serafina cocked her head. Something had  _ definitely  _ happened with Remy, she just wasn’t sure what. He’d been treating her so strangely lately, even stranger than usual. She at least used to get a ‘good morning’ at breakfast from him, but he’d been radio silent unless to snark at her or play nice in front of their friends. She had racked her brain several times, looking for something,  _ anything _ that could cause him to be treating her this way, and her brain always settled on one thing: Fred. Even that didn’t make sense, though, because he’d never been bothered by Fred flirting with her before. Maybe now that something had  _ actually  _ happened between them, he felt differently. She really had no idea, and not knowing bothered her to no end. 

“Fina?” Neville’s soft voice pulled her out of her head, and before she could even think to filter herself, she blurted out:

“I kissed Fred Weasley!”

Neville’s mouth fell open, and then a cheeky smile formed on his face, cheekier than Serafina had ever seen, “And?”

“And what?” Serafina stared at him, incredulously, “There is no ‘and,’ we just kissed, that’s it.”

“You’re telling me,” Serafina let out a heavy sigh as Neville spoke, already regretting having told him, “That you just  _ kissed _ ? That’s it? You didn’t even speak to him?”

“Of course I  _ spoke  _ to him, you ninny!” Serafina whispered harshly, ignoring the teasing grin on Neville’s face, “It’s not like I just walked up to him, grabbed him by the collar, and planted one on him!” She let out a groan before continuing, “I mean, I did grab him by the collar and planted one on him, but we were talking long before that!”

“What happens now?”

“ _ Nothing,  _ that’s what.” Serafina muttered, crossing her arms over her chest, kicking a piece of gravel as she walked, “It’s my first year of NEWTs, I have to focus this year.”

“Surely that big brain of yours can focus on things other than school,” Neville retorted, and Serafina shot him a look. 

“You’re right,” Serafina mused, and Neville’s eyes lit up excitedly, “I have Quidditch as well. Good thinking, Nev,” She finished. 

Neville just gave a light chuckle, shaking his head, “Fine, fine, I won’t push.”

“Thank you.”

“How was it, though?” 

Serafina glared at him. 

Neville raised his hands up in surrender, a tiny smile quirking at his lips as he tried to remain serious. “Not pushing.”

  
  
  


No one at the Slytherin table greeted Serafina when she finally arrived; no one even bothered to spare her a glance. It wasn’t a surprise, but she thought maybe someone might fill her in on what she had missed, but once again, she had thought wrong. 

She’d missed the sorting, and she felt a little disappointed. It was her favorite part of coming back to Hogwarts, watching the young children be sorted. The way their eyes lit up when the hat announced what house they’d be in always made her heart swell. A small part of her missed being that young, that carefree, excited to have a new home and new friends. Granted, her excitement hadn’t lasted very long after being sorted. She didn’t want to generalize, because she truly believed she was an exception, but  _ most  _ Slytherins were not very kind. It didn’t take her long to realize she wasn’t going to get along with any of them. Remington had warned her, but she didn’t want to believe it then. She’d always given people the benefit of the doubt, which usually got her into trouble. 

As she thought about her own sorting, she came to a realization that she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of sooner. 

Was Remington mad at her for being sorted into Slytherin, even after all these years? Did his prejudices extend to her? Come to think of it, he’d been different since she had been sorted, but she had always chalked it down to not wanting to have his younger sister in the same school. 

Lost in thought, with a scowl settling deep into her face, Serafina didn’t notice the familiar tugging on her sleeve until she heard someone clear their throat, and when she looked up, she was face to face with Soleil again. 

She shook off her thoughts about Remington, because, let’s be real, there was no way that could be true. There was no  _ way _ he would throw away everything he knew about her just because she had been sorted into his rival house, right?  _ Right? _

“Are you okay?” Soleil’s quiet voice finally brought Serafina out of her head, and as she looked down at Soleil, she plastered on her perfect Prefect smile. 

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you,” Serafina said, as she turned a little on the bench to face the young girl better. She had been so caught up in herself when she arrived that she hadn’t noticed she had sat down right next to Soleil. “Are you okay?”

Though usually Serafina would only reciprocate a conversation in order to be polite, her question was genuine as she stared Soleil in the face. She could see right through her fake smile, a smile that told her that Soleil was really trying to hold it together, but it wouldn’t hold for much longer. She knew because she, too, wore that same smile quite often. 

Soleil looked close to tears as she looked away from Serafina, over to the first years Serafina had left her with on the train. They were all seated at the Gryffindor table, desperately trying to avoid Soleil’s eyes, as they chatted up some upperclassmen. 

“When I was sorted...” Soleil looked down at her lap now, picking at a stray piece of thread on the sleeve of her robes, “When I was sorted into Slytherin… You should have seen their faces.”

Serafina looked down at her own lap, that perfect Prefect smile of hers wavering. She already knew where this was going, and even though she barely knew this little girl, her heart threatened to break for her. 

“They looked like they  _ hated  _ me,” Soleil sniffled a little, trying to keep her composure, “Why? What’s so wrong with Slytherin?” Soleil looked up at Serafina’s face, “You’re in Slytherin and you’re really nice.”

Serafina wasn’t sure what to say. Clearly there were a lot of things wrong with Slytherin, but who was to say they didn’t extend to every house? Serafina had met her fair share of jerks in every house, even in Hufflepuff, though it was rare. In particular, it had been mostly Gryffindors who treated her poorly, strictly because she wore green and silver on her robes instead of red and gold. She’d never uttered more than two words to some of these people, and yet, they had decided they knew everything they needed to know about her based on a label, as opposed to who she was on the inside. While, yes, the Sorting Hat was usually accurate, she didn’t believe it to be the be-all and end-all the way everyone else did. Cunning and ambitious were not evil traits. ‘Slytherin’ and ‘evil’ were not mutually exclusive terms. 

When she saw the way Soleil stared up at her expectantly, her eyes full of hope, Serafina told her exactly what she wished someone had told  _ her  _ when she was sorted into Slytherin. 

“There’s nothing wrong with Slytherin,” Serafina started, moving a strand of hair out of Soleil’s eyes gently, “And there’s nothing wrong with you for being sorted into it. Prejudice runs deep here, but that doesn’t reflect on you. It only reflects on the people who perpetuate it.”

Soleil nodded slowly, quickly wiping a stray tear from her cheek as Serafina continued, widening her smile in hopes of comforting the girl, “Did you know that Merlin was a Slytherin?”

Soleil’s eyes lit up ever-so-slightly, “Like, Merlin from all the stories?”

Serafina beamed down at her, “The very same. One of the most famous wizards of all time was sorted into this very house. He was very kind, and fought for Muggle rights. Do you know what a Muggle is?”

Soleil nodded again, “My parents are Muggles.”

Serafina felt a lump form in her throat. She tried to remain nonchalant, but it suddenly became clear to her why she felt so drawn to this little girl. She was a Muggleborn Slytherin, just like her. 

“My parents are Muggles, too, you know,” Serafina murmured, forcing her smile to keep from wavering, “We seem to have a lot in common, you and me.”

Soleil finally smiled at that, a smile that reached her eyes. Serafina could feel herself starting to feel better as the young girl beamed up at her. A sense of pride bubbled up inside her, as she realized she was exactly the sort of person she had needed when she was younger. Though she hoped Soleil would never need her like she needed someone at that age, she vowed to herself that she would be that person. She would take good care of Soleil. 

While she still had more she wanted to say, at least to warn Soleil about what might be said about her, she figured it would ruin the good spirits Soleil was in. Instead, she just squeezed Soleil’s hand tightly as she watched their plates fill themselves up with food. 

“What do you say we dig in, huh? Wouldn’t want to waste all this delicious food, right?”

Soleil only nodded vigorously as she did just that. 

As Serafina went to reach for her cup, she looked up at the table in the back of the hall, where all the professors were seated. A woman dressed in all pink that Serafina had never seen before was staring back at her, with a glint in her eye that Serafina couldn’t place. 

An eerie sort of unease set low in her chest, one that didn’t seem to go away, even as the woman looked away from her. 

While it was unsettling, for a reason Serafina didn’t yet understand, she tried her best to ignore it, instead busying herself by digging into her own dinner.

She’d find out who the strange woman was soon enough. 


	3. Chapter 3

_ “You can tell me, you know,” Fred gave her a crooked grin, “I don’t bite. Much.” _

_ Against her better judgement, she did laugh that time. _

_ Serafina waved her hand dismissively, leaning back against the sink, “It’s really nothing. Just thinking about going back to Hogwarts, that’s all.” _

_ Fred nodded slowly, laying his head back against the cabinet, “Nervous?” _

_ Serafina took another sip of her water before answering him. Of course she was nervous, how could she not be? After what happened just a few months ago, on top of everything else… She didn’t want to think about it.  _

_ “Just have a lot on my plate is all. All NEWT classes and Quidditch.” _

_ “Sounds like you have a busy year ahead of you.” Fred murmured.  _

_ “You could say that again,” Serafina let out a humorless chuckle, “Sometimes it’s enough to make my head spin.” _

_ “Really?” Fred’s eyebrows shot up, as he sat up straighter. _

_ “Is that surprising to you?” Serafina asked, now hopping up onto the counter, realizing she probably wasn’t getting out of this conversation any time soon. Might as well make herself comfortable.  _

_ Fred crossed his arms over his chest with a shrug. “A bit, yeah. I thought you were unshakable.” _

_ Serafina let out another chuckle, looking down into her half-empty glass, “You’re funny, Fred.” _

_ “So I’ve been told.” Fred smirked, before leaning forward a bit, “I’m not trying to be funny, though.” _

_ “Just comes naturally then, I suppose.” _

_ “You’re deflecting.” _

_ “Am I?” Serafina asked, raising an eyebrow, “What makes you say that?” _

_ “Intuition.” _

_ Serafina could feel the corners of her lips threatening to quirk upwards as he repeated her own words back to her.  _

_ “You don’t have to tell me,” Fred shrugged, leaning back once again, his head hitting the cabinet with a light thump. _

_ Serafina worried her bottom lip between her teeth. There was something about Fred that felt so… comforting. She wasn’t sure if it was that comforting feeling or the fact that she was severely sleep deprived, but whatever it was, it made her want to open up to him. _

_ “What do you say we move this to the balcony? These counters aren’t very comfortable, are they?” _

_ Fred met Serafina’s eyes, a small smile on his lips.  _

_ “Lead the way, Viotto.” _

Serafina groaned inwardly as her alarm sounded off next to her, ignoring all her roommates grumbling at her about the noise at such an early hour. It wasn’t anything new, these people had been her roommates for five years, she thought they’d be used to it by now. Though, she wouldn’t put it past them to be grumbling just for the sake of grumbling at her. 

There was no way to see the sun, with a bedroom in the dank dungeons of Hogwarts castle, but Serafina knew it would be just barely peeking over the horizon at this time.

There was nothing like a Hogwarts sunrise. Serafina never missed one, not since one fateful morning in her second year where she had found herself awake early enough to see it. She’d only seen it through one of the windows in the Great Hall, but after that moment, she would wake up early and make her way to the top of the hill that overlooked Hagrid’s hut in order to see it. 

Serafina got dressed silently, a skill she had mastered after Jane Clemons had chastised her for making too much noise, and made her way out of the common room and up the stairs to the courtyard. Her bag hung loosely on her shoulder, packed with her school books and her robes so she wouldn’t have to go back to her dorm room. The more time she could spend away from the Slytherin common room, the better. 

The sun was still barely peeking behind the mountains as she reached her destination, a patch in the grass that looked a little less green than the rest, worn from Serafina spending hours there every morning. Serafina pulled a blanket from her bag, laying it flat over the patch of grass, the color of the purple fabric popping next to the green of the grass. She then pulled out the book she was currently reading, and was about to sit down, when she heard someone calling her name. 

_ Shit.  _

She knew that voice all too well. 

She acted as if she didn’t hear him, sitting down and opening her book. She did not have the patience at that moment to deal with…  _ whatever _ her situation with Fred was. 

“Ignoring us, are ya?” 

Serafina’s head snapped up from her book, her eyebrows raising, then furrowing in confusion.  _ Us? _

Serafina turned to look behind her, and sure enough, the twins, Lee, and Remington were all making their way up the hill.

“You lot are up early.” Serafina mused, turning back around, fingering through the pages of her book to find where she left off. 

“We’re just, uh…” Lee started, before looking up at Remington, his eyes wide. 

“Going for a morning run,” Remington finished for him, crossing his arms over his chest, “Quidditch tryouts are soon. Have to stay in shape, you see. Can’t disappoint Angie.”

“Can’t have that,” Serafina rolled her eyes, as she turned back again to look at them, “You don’t play Quidditch, Lee. What kind of running are you doing? Running your mouth?”

“You know  _ just  _ how to charm a man, Serafina,” Lee flashed his pearly whites. 

“I know how to hex one too.”

“Is that a threat or a promise?” Lee crossed his arms, his wide smile turning into a cheeky smirk. 

“Merlin, you lot are  _ annoying _ ,” Serafina huffed, closing her book over her fingers, “Can’t you see I’m trying to enjoy the sunrise?”

Serafina hadn’t noticed George and Fred making their way over toward her, too busy glaring at Lee, so it startled her when they plopped themselves down on either side of her. 

George bumped her with his shoulder as he spoke, “We have names, you know,” He teased, “Why don’t you ever call us something nicer than ‘you lot’? How about something like-“

“-You fine young men,” Fred suggested. 

“Or handsome devils, maybe?”

“Strapping young lads?”

“Dashing ne’er-do-wells?”

“Now that one I take offense to, Georgie,” Fred wagged his finger at his brother, “I like to think I do pretty well,” Out of sight of the others, he winked at Serafina. 

Serafina pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers in annoyance, before slamming her book down into her lap, “Look, as much as I am enjoying…” She looked between the twins, a scowl on her face, “...whatever is happening here, I came to watch the sunrise-“

“We’ll watch with you!” Lee offered, not noticing the way Remington scoffed and crossed his arms tighter against his chest as he made a mad dash for the blanket. 

“-In peace,” Serafina finished, shooting Lee a glare as he came into view, “I have a feeling that’s not possible with you-“

“Don’t say it,” George leaned over and covered Serafina’s mouth with his hand, “Unless you’re going to say ‘handsome devils’, I think that one’s my favorite.”

Serafina sighed heavily as George withdrew his hand from her mouth. She knew there was no arguing with them, at least three of them. She had a feeling Remington wanted to be anywhere but there, with his  _ Slytherin _ sister. Maybe no one else had caught the way he scoffed when Lee mentioned spending more time with her, but she definitely had. However, the more she thought about how Remington had been treating her lately, the more it got under her skin. Maybe it was time for a taste of his own medicine. 

“You know what?” Serafina removed her fingers from her book and turned to place it back in her bag, “If you promise to let me enjoy the sunrise in peace, you’re more than welcome to stay.”

Serafina could practically feel Remington glaring at her back, but she didn’t care. He deserved it. 

“Yes!” Lee pumped his fist as he sat down in front of Serafina, with his back to her, “I promise you won’t regret this. I can be really quiet when I want to be. I swear. This is so nice. Isn’t this nice?”

Fred leaned forward to thump Lee on the back of the head, “You are the opposite of peaceful right now, mate. Shut it.”

Serafina felt her heart swell ever-so-slightly at the way Fred chastised Lee. If anything, she thought Fred would have joined in with him. He kept surprising her, and she wasn’t sure if she liked that or not. 

Lee obviously got the message, as he made a big show of locking his lips shut and throwing away a key. He turned around after, laying his head on his knees. 

It was silent between all of them; even Remington kept quiet, which  _ also  _ surprised Serafina. For as bothered as he had been when Serafina allowed them to stay, she had expected at least a little pushback from him. 

The sky had turned a bright shade of orange as the sun started to lift in the sky, still hidden by the mountains. Serafina let out a pleased sigh as she brought her knees to her chest, staring up at the clouds. She’d said it before and she’d say it again-

“There’s really nothing like a Hogwarts sunrise, huh?”

Serafina’s head involuntarily snapped towards Fred as his words reached her ears. He didn’t notice, his eyes still trained on the clouds. 

“What did you say?” Serafina asked, as Lee leaned back against her knees. Normally she would protest, but her brain was too preoccupied with what Fred had said. 

Fred didn’t look at her, still watching the clouds as the sky grew more orange, making his hair appear even redder than usual. Instead, he just leaned toward her, in order for her to hear him better. “I said there’s nothing like a Hogwarts sunrise, don’t you think?”

Serafina nodded slowly as she looked away from him, “That’s what I think too.”

Fred looked away from the sky then, flashing a smile over at her. Serafina allowed herself to return the smile, and before she could stop herself, she leaned her head down on his shoulder. 

Before Fred could even react, Remington was on his feet, clearing his throat. Serafina’s head popped up, her eyes wide as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t. (Which, technically, she had.) Remington’s eyes were narrowed in her direction as he spoke.

“As lovely as this has been,” Serafina could hear the sarcasm practically dripping from his tongue, “We have better things to do. Can we leave now?”

No one argued with him, though they all shot Serafina apologetic smiles as they stood up from her blanket. The only one that seemed to hesitate was Fred, though no one else but Serafina noticed it. 

They all started down the hill, toward the forest, and Serafina knew better than to ask what they planned on doing there. If she knew, she’d have to do something about it, and frankly she didn’t want the trouble. Instead, she only silently opened her book and began searching for where she had left off once again. She had barely read the first word of a paragraph before she saw Fred standing over her again. 

“Do you mind if we join you again tomorrow?”

As Serafina met his eyes, she noticed that they looked… almost hopeful? Were her eyes playing tricks on her? She thought about it for a moment. Having them around hadn’t been so bad. They did seem to respect her wishes, which didn’t happen often. 

“I think I’d be okay with that,” Serafina nodded slowly, resisting the urge to smile at Fred as he beamed down at her. “Do you have to bring Remy, though?”

Fred let out a chuckle, “Unfortunately, we’re all a package deal.” He smirked down at her, a mischievous glint in his eye suddenly twinkling, “But if you wanted some alone time, I’m sure I could make that happen.”

Serafina rolled her eyes, looking back down at her book.  _ So much for respecting her wishes. _

“Don’t ruin this.”

Fred tensed, though only for a moment, almost unnoticeably. He didn’t say anything else, he just gave her a curt nod and a smile as he took off back down the hill. He was already gone by the time she realized why he had reacted the way he did. It seemed like he had his own trigger words regarding the Balcony Incident. 

Serafina shook her head and tried to immerse herself in her book. She didn’t want to think about that night on the balcony, but apparently what she wanted didn’t matter to her subconscious. Try as she might to focus on the words on the page, she found herself thinking about the way it felt to have Fred’s lips on her own, the way he smelled like oranges and fireworks, the way his hands expertly threaded themselves in her hair…

Serafina sighed, shutting her eyes tight as she willed herself to stop thinking about Fred. When it became clear that wasn’t going to happen, she threw her book down onto the blanket, with enough force that it bounced once before landing flat against the blanket. 

“Oh, forget it,” Serafina grumbled to herself, packing her things hastily.  _ Might as well go back to bed.  _


End file.
